Words Written in Blood
by HaveAHeart0301
Summary: What if Ludveck had planned his rebellion more wisely? If he'd locked Lucia in a room in the castle when she came to visit? If he'd tricked a certain count into joining him? He may have been better off. Eventual Lucia/Bastian. Discontinued.
1. Chapter 1

**Words Written in Blood**

**Chapter One**

_A/N: Written because Lucia fans like to make remakes of Part two of Radiant Dawn, and I felt left out. Okay, not really. This was just a random idea that I had when replaying Part Two Chapter Two today._

_--_

"Duke Ludveck, a visitor is here to see you. She claims to know you..."

"Well, let her in then!"

"But, Milord, what if she's a spy?"

"Don't challenge my authority! Bring her in, I said!"

"Y-yes, sir!"

The servant quickly exited and returned with the previously mentioned woman. Ludveck watched as she walked up to him, her long azure hair framing her beautiful face. She looked so gorgeous...

He was snapped out of his daze when nudged by his servant. He then realized that Lucia was standing right next to him. She stood _so_ close to him...

But what were those _things_ next to her? Laguz? _Laguz?! _How he despised those filthy sub-humans, but oh, they would have something coming for them, just you wait.

It was then that he noticed the impatient look on her face, and he decided to speak.

"Well, well... My dear Lady Lucia. Quite a way from home, aren't we?"

"Please do excuse the sudden visit, Your Grace. We've traveled quite a long way... I hope it won't be too much trouble."

He hadn't even heard the whole of what she'd said, due to the day-dreaming state he was currently in.

"Don't be ridiculous! I could be nothing but delighted by a visit from you, Lady Lucia."

He moved closer to her.

"Although I must admit... I would be all the more pleased if you had come such a long way just to see me."

When he tried to put his arms around her waist, she pulled away from him, taking a step back.

"...You are too kind, Lord Ludveck."

"Please feel free to take your ease. You are welcome to stay in Felirae as long as you desire."

_In fact, you _will_ stay, because that is what _I_ desire._

"Now, I will have Nathaniel here show you to your rooms. Unfortunately, we have a lack of rooms currently available, so it may take awhile to get them prepared. I hope that won't be a problem."

"Not at all, my lord."

--

When Nathaniel returned, he found his lord staring out the window.

"Lock the girl in her room; we're not taking any chances."

"So you think she's a spy?"

"It's quite possible actually. But if we can keep her out of the way until we eliminate the queen, then I think I'll have a quite nice bride."

"What will you do with the sub-humans?"

"Take the tiger, cat, and raven and cram them in a cell in the dungeon. Lock the heron in a room and make sure she is well cared for. After I take the throne, we can 'rescue' her to get the sub-humans' nations on our side."

"But, Milord...why would we want _them_ to be on our side?"

"So they won't expect us to stab them in the back and turn them into slaves, of course!"

Both men let out sinister laughs.

_This will be way too easy!_

_--_

"So you want us to meet outside the castle after midnight?"

The five guests all waited in what was to be Lucia's room. The three women all sat on the bed, atop the extravagantly decorated bedspread. Mordecai leaned against the wall next to the door while Nealuchi sat in a rocker near the window.

"Right. Ludveck doesn't have many guards, so it should be fairly easy to sneak out. Once we're all together, we'll make for a cave south of here. The duke uses it as a storage room, and we may be able to find an important document in there."

Just then, they heard a loud knock at the door. They looked at one another worriedly; had someone heard them?

Lucia swallowed the lump in her throat and called in a shaky voice, "C-come in..."

The door was opened to reveal Ludveck's servant.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Milady, but rooms have been prepared for our ...laguz... guests."

"That's quite alright. Thank you."

She watched as her four friends followed the man out of the door as it closed behind them. She laid down on the bed and sighed. She might as well try to get _some_ rest before that night...

As she laid there, she couldn't help but notice how soft the bed was. And despite how ridiculous the comforter looked, it was actually quite warm. The pillows, too, looked odd, but they were extremely comfortable, so she fell asleep rather quickly.

--

As Lethe walked down the hall with the others, she felt that something was wrong. The servant suddenly stopped in front of a door and pulled out a key.

"Princess Leanne, your room."

He opened the door to reveal a room that was _almost_ as nice as Lucia's.

_That figures. After all, Leanne is of the 'inferior' race. No, Lethe, you can't just assume things. Maybe all this was a result of how fond he seemed to be of Lucia._

_That man is such a creep! I mean, with the way he was trying to hold Lucia even as she tried to step away from him... She's obviously not interested in you, jerk!_

She was forced back into reality by Leanne's voice speaking in modern tongue.

"T-thank you."

The others watched as Leanne disappeared inside and the door was shut behind her. They then continued down the hall, descended two flights of stairs, and came to a dimly lit room. The smell of metal filled Lethe's nose and she could hear a faint dripping of water.

"Here we are..."

The three laguz looked at their surroundings. Lethe and Mordecai could see pretty well, but Nealuchi was just left in the dark. Was this some type of dungeon? Suddenly, three men appeared and shoved them into a cell. Lethe fell to the ground and her cheek met with a sharp rock lying on the floor. Blood gushed down her face to the dirt-rock mixture below.

She heard their cell door being closed behind them. The servant laughed as he made sure the laguz were locked up tightly, then he walked away.

_We should have known..._

_--_

Leanne was still walking around, examining the room when she heard footsteps outside. She froze when she heard someone messing with her doorknob, but rushed to the window when she heard a click and the footsteps disappeared.

She could hardly see through the heavy rain that was now falling. Hadn't Lucia said that there wouldn't be many guards out? Why then could she see many torches accompanied by shouts and footsteps moving around down below? Something was definitely wrong...

--

Lucia awoke shortly before midnight. She got up, put on a pair of flats she had in her bag, and walked over to the door. She reached for the handle, but when she went to turn it, she found that it was locked...from the outside...

_What's going on here?!_

She suddenly felt someone put their hands on her shoulders. She turned around to face Ludveck, a wicked smile on his face.

"Did you enjoy your rest?"

"Ludveck, what's going on?"

"I've had this room prepared for you ever since I became the duke of Felirae three years ago."

"W-what?"

"I always knew you'd come to see me someday and I'd need a place to keep you so you couldn't escape. So I designed this room..."

She tried to back as far away from him as possible, but only succeeded in colliding with the door. He inched closer to her and took a few strands of her hair between his fingers.

"You don't actually think you're going to keep me here, do you?"

"Now, Milady, don't be foolish. Of course you'll remain here."

"My brother will come and--"

He put a finger to her lips.

"Your brother will never even know you're here. But if he does find out and insists on searching my home, I will just have you sent to the palace of another noble under my command.

"Once your brother and the queen have been disposed of, I will make you _my_ queen. You'll wear a beautiful tiara, and more importantly...you'll have me."

Ludveck leaned in and pressed his lips against her cheek, causing her to smack him across the face, hard. He jumped back in shock and she was able to get out of the corner he'd placed her in. He glared at her and then moved towards the door, opening it and walking out of the room. Before closing it, he turned back around to face her.

"Whether you like it or not, you'll be my bride."

He slammed the door and Lucia heard it click behind him. She stood there, frozen, for quite a while. She was about to turn around when she heard the rustling of paper beneath her door. She walked over and saw that a note had been stuffed through the small opening underneath the door. She picked it up and began reading.

_My dear Lucia,_

_I'm sorry for all the pain I have inflicted upon you. Please accept my apology and know that I will do everything in my power to help you escape._

She gasped when she looked at the signature. It couldn't be...

--

"Milord, the laguz have been taken care of."

"Thank you, Nathaniel. When the time if right, we'll be able to get rid of them one way or another."

"Of course, Milord."

"And then, the throne _and_ Lucia will be mine! No one will be able to stop this rebellion..."

--

_A/N: Yeah, I can't believe I'm writing a Lucia/Bastian fic either... But anyway, here are the notes on this actual chapter... First of all, as can be assumed, Nephenee, Brom, and Heather didn't go with them to Felirae. I have other plans for them. Also, I nearly said that Lucia put on her high-heels instead of flats...which, considering whenever I walk into a hospital or such my shoes are really loud, I figure it wouldn't be a good idea since she's trying to 'sneak out'. Okay, well, that's it. Feel free to tell me what you thought of the first chapter!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Words Written in Blood**

**Chapter Two**

_A/N: For those of you that know how I'm slightly crazy, I may have actually found a reason for that! When I was like three or something my cousin hit me in the head with a horseshoe! Luckily, it was plastic, but still…that had to hurt. Okay, that was completely random, so on with the story. Oh, but first, I'd like to thank __**my only reviewer **__(I guess everyone's too busy playing Shadow Dragon to review), FreelancerSealBoy! Okay, now we're officially done!_

_--_

Lucia sat in the chair next to her window, drumming her fingers against the seal impatiently. You couldn't see anything, aside from rain, rain, and yet again, more rain. If Ludveck was going to lock her up in here, the least he could do was allow her some sort of visitor. Aside from the duke himself, she was allowed no human contact whatsoever. Well, that's not actually true, she _did_ get visits from Nathaniel every once in awhile. It seemed he was the only one whom the duke trusted to know she was there.

Occasionally, the servant would bring her something to eat, which she refused. She'd rather die than eat the meat-filled dishes prepared by Ludveck's chef.

She continued looking out the window when she heard a light rap on her door. There was no point in answering; Ludveck and Nathaniel both always burst in anyway. Even when she heard the noise a second time, she thought nothing of it. Finally, the door was just opened.

Lucia didn't acknowledge that anyone was there. She'd much prefer to just ignore whichever man it was. She heard a platter being set down on the small table in the corner and a man cleared his throat. Apparently, she wasn't getting out of this one…

She turned around and saw him standing there by the closed door. Immediately, she jumped up from her chair and flung her arms around his neck. He held her by the waist.

"Bastian… Oh, Bastian!"

"Well, Milady, I've never seen you so happy to see me. Tahaha!"

"You don't know how utterly lonely I've been here…Ludveck's just so…awful."

"Yes, I know. Now, now…don't start crying. I'll have none of that! We'll be seeing a lot of each other, and I will not tolerate you being this unhappy!"

"What do you mean?"

"Ludveck has given me unrestricted access to your room."

"But why?"

He let go of her and went to sit down on her bed, noting the bedspread.

"Ludveck sure does have nice taste, doesn't he?"

She just stared at him, confused. He chuckled and patted the space next to him.

"Have a seat and I shall tell you every detail."

She did so, gladly, and he took her hands in his. She stared at him expectantly, and he sighed.

"I hoped to never have to tell this to you, but Ludveck has allowed me to see you because he has a certain…trust…in me. Not really a trust, no. Faith I suppose."

"Bastian…?"

"What I'm trying to say is…" He sighed again. "Ludveck has made me his second in command."

"What?!"

She jumped up from her place on the bed and glared at him. He stood up and took her in his arms once again.

"Lucia…I'm sorry. I just wanted to protect you…"

"So this is where you've been all this time? Do you know how worried I was? Oh, well I definitely had a reason to be worried! How could you do such a thing? Queen Elincia trusted you. _Everyone_ trusted you. Even _I_ trusted you, Bastian!"

She tried to pull away from him, but he wouldn't allow it.

"Lucia, I told the queen that I had pressing matters that involved Crimea to look into, no? The only way for me to stop him was to make him think I supported him. But then he didn't believe me, and I had to sign a contract. And now, I'm stuck with him."

"As if you haven't broken a contract before…"

"Milady! Are you suggesting that I am not a man of my word?"

"Yes, I am, Count Bastian."

"Milady, I am crushed! When was there ever a time when your faithful Count Bastian did not fulfill his end of a bargain?"

"Oh, I can think of multiple times, Milord."

"Is that so?"

She rested her head on his chest.

"Uh-huh. What about the time when Elincia was little and--"

"That was different."

"Oh really?"

"Yes…this is a much different kind of contract…it cannot be easily broken, without consequences. Please understand that none of this was my intention. I'd never wish to harm you or Elincia."

"I know that, Bastian…"

He took her hands and frowned.

"Milady, you really shouldn't wear your ring here…Ludveck wouldn't much like that."

"But--"

"No buts. Now, it may be possible for me to acquire a chain for you to put the ring on and wear around your neck. I don't suppose Ludveck would think a thing of that, correct?"

"I guess not…"

"Now, don't look so sad… This will all be over soon and we'll be with Geoffrey and Elincia once more. Ludveck may be capable of starting a rebellion, but he doesn't have the skill to win a war."

"That is true, but with your magical genius…it is possible."

"I never said anything about fighting for him, did I?"

She laughed.

"No, you didn't."

"Now, I must be going, my love, but have no fear--I shall return to you shortly! Oh, I almost forgot…Ludveck said you haven't been eating. I inquired about what was served to you, and realized the problem, so I have brought something I whipped up myself to cure your hunger."

"_You_ made it?"

"Don't look so frightened, I am a good cook, am I not?"

"I really don't know…I know you used to cook for us when we were little, but I just can't remember…"

"Well have no fear, I tested it out on Nathaniel, and as far as I know, he's still breathing…"

"Oh, that makes me feel _so_ much better…"

"That it should, Milady."

He kissed her forehead and bounded towards the door.

"Now, my fair maiden, I shall return to thee as soon as I possibly can. Until then, I bid thee farewell!"

Lucia laughed as he shut and locked the door behind him. To be honest, things actually might not be all that bad with him around. Not bad at all…

--

_A/N: That was extremely short, but Bastian needed to make his appearance before all the action starts in the next chapter. It just didn't seem right to add both things in this chapter. It wouldn't have flown well at all. But anyway, on with the actual notes… Yes, I made Lucia a vegetarian, and no, not just because I am one myself. There's a certain event later on that it will work nicely with. Second, I don't really care if Lucia and Bastian don't get married in the game. For this fic, they're engaged, and if neither of them dies, they will be married…most likely. Okay, well that's it!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Words Written in Blood**

**Chapter Three**

_A/N: "I love Kroger! It's my favorite grocery store! It's like Wal-mart without all the extra stuff!"_

_Okay, sorry about that…I was just re-reading "Presto Change-o, You Didn't Eat Your Mango!" (that annoying fic my cousin and I wrote), and I always find that line funny. But now, on with the story._

_--_

Geoffrey sat with the other nobles around the table, waiting for Queen Elincia to enter the room. It wasn't like the queen to be this late to one of their meetings… While the other nobles chatted amongst themselves, Geoffrey stared at the empty seat across from him. Thus far, his sister hadn't returned from Felirae. In fact, there hadn't even been any word from her. Needless to say, he was worried, but he would never show it to anyone else. He would just have to wait and be patient--surely his sister would be fine.

His thoughts were interrupted by Elincia walking into the room. Oddly enough, no one had announced her entrance. She took her seat at the head of the table while everyone looked at her expectantly. She noted the two empty seats at the table: that of her foster sister, and the seat of Duke Ludveck himself. She sighed and turned back to the other nobles.

"I assume you're all wondering why I called you here…"

"To discuss the rebellion or cry about that useless girl that's missing?" scoffed one of the more impatient nobles, who was so unluckily seated next to Geoffrey.

The young general stood up and grabbed the man by the collar, lifting him a few feet off the ground. All the other nobles gasped, while the one Geoffrey directed his anger at shook in fear.

"If you _ever_ say anything like that about my sister again, I _will not_ hesitate to snap your neck. Got it?"

The man, now gasping for air, merely shook his head. Geoffrey dropped the man on the ground and glared at him as he sat back down. The noble weakly pulled himself up to sit down once again, still shaking in fear.

"General Geoffrey! Do remember your place. You are in no position to act so rashly!" scolded the noble sitting across from the man he'd nearly suffocated.

"Yes, sir…"

Elincia gave him a sympathetic look before continuing.

"Now, to answer the previous question, I wish to discuss both matters. First, I'd like all of your opinions on the rebellion."

The noble that had just scolded Geoffrey spoke up first.

"Let Ludveck do as he pleases. He doesn't have the brains to successfully pull it off, so why even worry?"

Geoffrey sighed. "It wouldn't be wise to allow innocent civilians to be harmed, you know that Milord."

"What did I tell you, boy?! Young generals such as yourself have no right to correct their superiors!"

"…Sorry, sir…"

"That's more like it!"

Elincia secretly rolled her eyes; nobles were so foolish.

"Back to the matter at hand. What does everyone else think?"

The noble seated next to Geoffrey looked reluctant to speak.

"I…have no opinion whatsoever. Whatever you decide is fine by me."

The remainder of the nobles nodded their heads in agreement.

"What Ludveck does shouldn't be our concern."

"Agreed."

"Hmm…alright. I'm not so sure, but we'll give it some time. Now, on to our other matter. As many of you know, Lady Lucia traveled to Felirae to investigate Ludveck on my behalf. Thus far, she has not returned, nor has she sent any word on her findings. Those of you who know Lucia well will realize that this is unusual for her, which has us worried. Now, the question is, what should we do about it? Should we wait longer, send someone to investigate, or another option?"

The whole room was in silence for a few minutes as each noble tried to come up with a solution. The first to speak came as no surprise to anyone: the same noble that always spoke; the man who had scolded Geoffrey…twice.

"With all due respect, Your Highness… I believe it would be foolish to send anyone. Lucia's a tough woman, no? She should be able to handle herself, no matter how 'evil' Ludveck may be."

Geoffrey glared at the man.

"So you'd leave my sister to die then? Would you do the same if it was your daughter in this position?"

"General, my daughter is smart enough to stay out of this kind of situation. Lucia, like you yourself, lacks the common sense to not interfere in other people's business."

The azure-haired man slammed his fist on the table.

"Don't you dare say a thing like that about my sister! You are in no place to judge her, you filthy pig!"

"Geoffrey! Please calm down…"

Elincia stood up and walked over to her foster brother.

"I understand that you're upset, but please, you mustn't act so rashly. If it will please you, you and your knights may search Castle Felirae."

"…Thank you, Your Majesty…"

"Now, I declare this meeting officially over with. The rebellion will be closely watched for now and the Royal Knights will head out for Felirae in the morning."

Many of the nobles rolled their eyes as they uttered "Yes, Your Highness" and left the room. As Geoffrey got up to leave too, Elincia called him back to the table.

"Geoffrey, please be careful… And please, bring Lucia back to me in one piece. Without her and Bastian here, I'm at a loss…"

"Of course, Your Majesty."

--

"Aaah, Bastian, Nathaniel, I'm glad you're here," Ludveck stated while turning around in his chair.

The two approaching men couldn't help but be freaked out by this act. Bastian shook that fact off, however, when he spoke.

"You wished to see us, Your Grace?"

"Yes. I've come to a decision regarding Lucia. I believe it would be best if we didn't let anyone, save the three of us, know that she's here."

"Tell no one? Not even your fellow nobles that have joined the rebellion?"

"That is correct, Bastian. We never know if these nobles can be trusted. They're lying thieves, every one of them… So eager to destroy their queen for monetary gain. You and I are different…we see the grander side of things. We know that Elincia is too weak a ruler to have the throne, do we not?"

"You are correct… But, tell me, how exactly do you plan to keep this a secret?"

"Easily done, good sir. Her windows are to be boarded up and she is never to leave her room. Luckily, the other nobles do not stay in that end of the palace, so they shouldn't realize what we're doing."

"Right… What are your plans for the heron princess and other laguz?"

"The sub-humans…are to be executed. All except the princess. She will stay until Elincia is overthrown."

"Of course… You plan to keep her a secret as well, I assume?"

"Yes…for the time being, that is the plan. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must attend to something. Bastian, if you will, go check on Lucia. There are some spare boards and nails in the dungeon…use them for the windows. That must be taken care of immediately."

"Yes, of course. I'll attend to that right away, Milord."

--

"Bastian, you can't be serious… He's actually ordered you to board up my windows? I shall die if I can't even look out upon the world…"

"Now, Milady, I believe you are being a tad dramatic. Do try your best to keep your spirits high. I know it may be hard, but I'm working on a plan for you to escape…" He said as he began nailing the boards against the bedroom's main window.

"Will you be joining me?"

"No, I'm afraid not. It's much too dangerous."

"But, Bastian… It's much too dangerous for you to remain here also. At least if you joined me, you wouldn't be all alone here, surrounded by Ludveck and all the other nutcases."

The blonde sage set down the hammer and board in his hands and took a seat next to her on the bed. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him as she rested her head against his body.

"Lucia… I've told you before that this whole thing is complicated. It shall be hard enough to concoct an escape plan for you, let alone see it through. I mustn't go and endanger you."

"Then I would rather stay here and be with you. That way, I'd at least know if you're safe or not. Imagine how I'd worry about you daily."

She looked at him with her deep blues eyes, causing him to turn away or else he couldn't disagree with her. He sighed.

"I can't allow that. End of discussion. Now, I must finish my task before Ludveck realizes that he hasn't heard hammering in quite some time and comes up to investigate."

--

Mordecai sat in the middle of the floor of their dungeon cell. Next to him, Lethe was sprawled out, unconscious. Nealuchi was…somewhere. The bird couldn't even tell where he was, and kept mumbling something that was inaudible to the tiger. Mordecai could see the old bird sitting there, but just left him be.

Not too long ago, the door leading to the dungeon had been opened. He heard someone descend the steps, but he could not see the person. They had picked something up off a shelf and walked back up the steps.

Shortly afterwards, the cat's ears had been filled with an awful pounding of some sort. He guessed it was some type of torture…to his ears it was. He only hoped Lucia and Leanne were alright.

--

Bastian had just finished his task and was finally able to sit down with Lucia once again. He did so, and she laid her head in his lap. As he ran his fingers through her long hair, he could hear footsteps coming down the hall. He sighed and kissed her forehead.

"That would be Ludveck coming up the stairs…"

She also sighed and sat up next to him, kissing his cheek right before the duke of Felirae burst into the room.

The brunette noted the darkness of the room and turned to Bastian.

"Nice work…"

He walked over to Lucia and took her hands in his.

"Now, don't you worry, sweetie… This will all be over soon. That good-for-nothing queen will be imprisoned, and you'll be the new queen. Everything will be perfect then, won't it?"

"No," she answered coldly.

He noticed her annoyed look and patted her hair.

"I understand…it's all so much for you to take it. I'm sure in time you'll--"

Ludveck was cut off by a loud knock on the door. Nathaniel then burst in, panting and out of breath.

"…Sir…"

"What is it, boy? Can't you see I'm busy?!"

"Yes, sir, but…"

"Out with it!"

"We just received word that General Geoffrey will be arriving in Felirae to search for his sister."

"Oh no!"

The man grabbed Lucia's wrists and pulled her to her feet. She struggled to free herself from his grasp.

"We must get you out of here before that foul brother of yours arrives. Bastian! Castle Fayre is currently unoccupied, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Not even a servant is around?"

"No, sir."

"Perfect! I'd like for you to take Lucia there until the general leaves. I'll send for you when that time comes, but until then, you mustn't let anyone see her, or there will be …consequences… I'm sure you know what I mean."

"Of course, Your Grace, but…"

"But what?"

"Don't you think it would be foolish to risk Geoffrey seeing the lady by taking her to Fayre…right past the castle in Melior?"

"Nonsense! Just take the back roads…the general will never see you! Now, I'll have a horse prepared for you…the two of you must leave at once!"

With that, Ludveck and Nathaniel rushed out of the room, slamming the door behind them.

"Bastian…"

The count stood up and placed his hands on the girl's shoulders.

"Lucia, don't worry about a thing. Everything is going to be fine, I promise you."

--

_A/N: Well, that's it. Sorry if it's not the best quality…I haven't been feeling well all weekend. That's also the reason why the final chapter of Risks Taken has been delayed…that chapter would take more thought than this did, so I'm waiting to update that one. Okay, I'm done rambling now…_


	4. Chapter 4

**Words Written in Blood**

**Chapter Four**

_A/N: Humans are officially the dumbest beings on the planet. "Hey everyone, since the salmon population's low, let's kill off the sea lion population!" You know, it'd make a whole lot more since if humans just quit eating salmon than killing off the sea lions to save the salmon, IDIOTS!!! Okay, sorry about that…it honestly has nothing to do with the story…unless I write it in somewhere. Okay, no, I won't do that. So…enjoy the story!_

--

Geoffrey waved good-bye to Elincia as he mounted his horse. By his side, Kieran and the other Royal Knights stood ready. Today would be the day they would be able to march on Felirae and hopefully win Lucia back. With all luck, they would back it to the castle before sundown and take a detailed look at the palace. If Lucia was there, they would find her; Geoffrey had no doubt about that. He only worried what would happen if she wasn't.

No, he could not think about that. His sister would be there, and she would be in good health as well. If not, Ludveck would find her brother's lance through his chest.

He gave one last look back at his queen before commanding his knights to set off. This was their one chance; if Lucia was not brought back now, they knew there would be consequences.

--

Lucia sat with her arms wrapped around the man she loved as they made their way down the Old Highway on horseback. They had left Castle Felirae not too long ago, and carefully proceeded towards Fayre.

Bastian had decided upon the old route to the castle, figuring it would be less likely for the knights the travel. If he made an incorrect assumption however, things could take a turn for the worst. If they were caught, Bastian would be breaking his contract with Ludveck, and would have to face his wrath.

This was a thing the man did not want. He could not risk anything happening to Lucia, so he chose his path carefully. One wrong move could result in disaster.

--

"My plan is genius. Genius I tell you!"

Ludveck laughed as he sat behind a large desk centered in the middle of the room. Nathaniel rolled his eyes as the man continued on about his 'genius' plans.

"I shall fool that General Geoffrey without raising a single finger! Hahaha!!"

"Umm…sir. With all due respect, umm… What about the sub-humans?"

"Oh yes! I nearly forgot about those monsters! What ever shall I do? … Aha! Send the three in the dungeon to be executed. I don't care how it's done, just make it happen. That heron girl…hmm… Oh, I know. Lock her in the secret room."

"Are you sure that's such a good idea?"

"Positive! Now, get to it!"

"Yes, sir…"

"Hahaha! Once that 'queen' and her faithful knight are out of the way, the throne will be all mine! Crimea will be mine! _Lucia_ will be _mine_!"

--

Bastian directed his horse to turn right to continue on the trail to Fayre. They were soon greeted by the thick forest that ran alongside the road. On the other side of them, a river flowed carelessly. The count ordered the horse to stop abruptly, causing Lucia's head to collide with his back.

"Ow! Bastian, what was that for?!"

She was quickly silenced by the count as he directed his gaze up ahead.

"Milady, someone's approaching. This could be dangerous…go hide in the woods for now."

"What?! But Bastian! What about you?"

"It does not matter what happens to me. You, however, must stay safe."

Lucia whacked him on the back of the head.

"You fool! You're not even supposed to be in Crimea! Don't you think that'll look suspicious?"

"I'll say that I am returning from Daein, of course."

"But… If something happens to you, no one will be able to escort me."

She smirked. Bastian sighed and shook his head.

"You've beaten me with that point, my fair maiden. Now, let us hurry before all this arguing has gone to waste."

The count dismounted and helped Lucia down from the horse.

"Bastian…what will we do with the horse?"

"He shall have to wait out here. Now, as I've said, let's go."

He picked the swordmaster up and carried her into the forest, leaving her stunned.

"Bastian! Put me down!"

"Of course, my dear."

The pair sat there, sheltered by the trees, arms wrapped around each other until they could hear the clopping of hooves approaching. Lucia closed her eyes and Bastian pulled her closer to him, kissing the top of her head.

They could now hear men shouting and someone dismounting his horse. Lucia nearly jumped when she heard the voice.

"General Geoffrey, sir! I, Fifth Platoon Captain Kieran, have found a loose horse!"

The other man sighed.

"Kieran, we can all see the horse. There's no need for you to-- You know, never mind. Nice job on 'finding' the horse."

"Thank you, sir! Now, I, Fifth Platoon Captain Kieran, shall capture the horse!"

"You do that…"

The general turned to one of his knights.

"Sir Jerrell, can you think of any possible reason why there would just be a horse in the middle of nowhere?"

"No, sir. Not really. Someone must have left it here."

"I, Fifth Platoon Captain Kieran, shall take a guess that the owner is in the woods! And I, Kieran, shall investigate!"

Bastian bit his lip and tried not to scream as Lucia dug her nails into his skin. He tried to soothe her and pulled her closer to him, but it was no use. He could feel blood running down his arm as a crunching of leaves could be heard.

"Kieran! You can't just barge into the woods and be like 'hey! I found your horse!'"

"But General…why not? This person could be an escaped criminal for all we know!"

"While that is true, Kieran, you still aren't going to do it. Now, men, can we please start back out for Felirae?"

"Yes, sir! That sounds like a fine plan! The beautiful Lady Lucia must be rescued at all costs!"

Bastian heard the men gallop away--fortunately, not taking Bastian's horse--and took Lucia's hands, removing her nails from his arm.

"Oh, Bastian, I'm so sorry, I--"

He put a finger to her lips.

"Milady, you do not have to worry about me. This, this is nothing--especially compared to what could have happened if we were caught."

"Yes. I suppose that it's true that the army is going to Felirae. It looked like the majority of the army too. They wouldn't leave the queen without guards, would they?"

"That is a good question indeed. If I wasn't afraid of Ludveck finding out, I'd take you to see her, but alas, I have no control over it. If only I hadn't joined Ludveck."

"Now, Bastian… You're being too hard on yourself. None of this is your fault."

"You may be right, but that isn't how it feels. Now, if we'd like to make Fayre before it gets _too_ late, I suggest we get going."

"Yes, you're right."

--

"Good afternoon, Princess."

The heron stared at the man that had just entered her room. What was _he_ doing here?

"Duke Ludveck has ordered for you to be moved into a more _comfortable_ room. If you would just follow me…"

She tried to break free of Nathaniel's grasp as he dragged her down the hall. It was to no avail, however…she was just too weak. The brunette pulled her through the long halls and stopped at a bookshelf. He adjusted the object, and it swung out, revealing a door. He opened it, and pushed Leanne inside. The princess fell to the ground as the door slammed behind her. She heard a click as the bookshelf was put back in place.

--

Nealuchi suddenly heard pounding from above and the door to the dungeon was thrown open. Footsteps filled the room and men rushed down the stairs. The door to their cell was unlocked and shoved open. One of the men grabbed the raven's wrists and tied his hands behind his back. Three more restrained Mordecai as the tiger tried to fight them off. A fifth picked the still-unconscious Lethe up off the ground and laughed.

"Let's go, you filthy sub-humans. The master's got a surprise for you."

Nealuchi gulped. Nothing good could come from a 'surprise' from that beast.

--

Leanne struggled to her feet and looked about the room she was thrown in. She gasped at the sight. The brick walls were covered with blood and skeletons were strewn about the tile floor. There were no windows. She could see a small door on the opposite side of the room.

The heron walked in that direction and descended the two steps down into the room, taking care not to bump her head on the low ceiling. The sight that greeted her eyes was even more disturbing than the last.

A man was chained up against one of the walls. He looked half dead. His clothes were torn, and scratches were present on his skin. She stared at him as he just lay there, unable to move.

_Ludveck is more of a monster than I thought…_

--

"Duke Ludveck, General Geoffrey of the Crimean Royal Knights is here to see you."

"Thank you. Please let him in."

Before the servant had even turned around, however, the doors burst open. A very angered Geoffrey stormed into the room and glared at Ludveck.

"Your Grace… I believe you know why I'm here."

"No, General, I can't say I do."

The noble smiled and Geoffrey could barely stop himself from smacking him.

"Is that so? Well, then…I'll start this off with a question: When is the last time you've seen my sister?"

"Your sister? I haven't seen the girl since the last council in Melior!"

"So she hasn't been here then?"

"No! Why ever would she be, Milord?"

"Oh, it's nothing. You wouldn't mind if my knights and I searched the place then, would you?"

"Not at all. Feel free to look about. Take your time--I have nothing to hide."

"We'll see about that, Milord."

Ludveck watched as Geoffrey walked back over to his knights and barked out orders. He laughed at the younger man's stupidity.

"You never said which sister…"

He laughed to himself and turned back to his paperwork.

--

"Marcia, have you found anything?"

"I'm sorry, Geoffrey, but no. There's no sign of your sister."

"Man, I really thought she'd be here. Now I don't know what I'll do…"

"It'll be alright, General. Trust me. Have all the rooms been searched?"

"Yes, I believe so."

The General leaned against the wall next to a bookcase.

"Well, with the exception of the room at the end of the hall. Your brother's _still_ in there looking around."

"Still?! That fool. He should have been done a long time ago. I'll go get him for you."

"Thanks, Marcia."

Geoffrey watched the pink-haired girl walk away.

"Hey, General! I, Fifth Platoon Captain Kieran, just remembered something!"

The azure-haired knight jumped at the sound of his soldier's voice and spun around.

"Kieran! Don't come up behind me like that!"

"Sorry, sir!"

"Well, what is it?"

"If I remember correctly, didn't there used to be a door here?"

"Kieran, I think you might actually be right for once. However, I wasn't able to get this stupid thing to budge."

"Hmm…that's a shame. Shall I get the troops ready to head back out?"

"Yes; as soon as Makalov's finished, we'll be leaving. I don't want to stay here any longer than we have to…"

--

Makalov grinned as he rummaged through the drawers of the room he was in. This Ludveck guy sure did leave a lot of gold lying around! He picked a small box up out of the drawer and opened it. His eyes lit up when he saw the dazzling ring inside.

"This'll fetch me a pretty penny…"

He laughed to himself as he admired the ring.

"Makalov! What's taking to long?!"

The man jumped and hid his hands behind his back.

"Oh, uhh, Marcia! I was just finishing up!"

"Well, good! Everyone's waiting on you! You didn't find anything, did you?"

"No! Nothing at all!"

"Well then, let's go!"

"Sure, Sis! I'm coming!"

The woman sighed as she walked back out the door. Her brother slipped the ring in his pocket and followed behind her.

_You know, at first I thought coming here was a bad idea, but this ring… Man, this thing must be worth a fortune!_

--

_A/N: Ouch…I just cut my hand. I'm sure no one's interested in the story, but I'll tell it anyway! So, my dad was going around the house saying something about "I'm the master." And I was like, "What, the master of crazy ideas?" Gosh, my hand's bleeding now…where are band-aids when you need them? *gets a band-aid and puts it on wrist* Okay, so back to the story. He told me to "get the master his flashlight", so I screamed "Yes sir!" really loudly (luckily none of our neighbors are home or I probably would've gotten the cops called on me). Then when I handed him the flashlight, he shined it in my eyes and I fell to the ground. While falling, my fingernails decided to dig into my skin in three different places. So now, my hand really hurts. Fascinating, huh?_

_But anyway, this chapter wasn't of great quality… The next one should be a lot better though. I really didn't have many ideas for this, so oh well! Plus, English class has drained all of my writing ability. Only like 2 days until the weekend though! Yay! But anyway, umm…I did have actual comments on this…what were they? Oh, I can't remember. I'll probably think of it as soon as this is posted though. Oh well…_


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